Sweetie Belle's search for immortality
by Dragorguy
Summary: Sweetie Belle falls on some hard times. Trying desperately to gain control of her life, she pushes her limits and her friends to the breaking point. With her inner strength she finds a way to come out on top. However, there is a price to pay. If she fails to contain primal force lurking within her, she will be consumed by it.


"Cutie Mark Crusaders GO!" we yelled in unison and gave each other high-hoofs.

This latest idea might just work. I thought. I just don't know what could go wrong. And I would bet this is how Derpy Hooves got her cutie mark. We'll have to ask her about that sometime.

After grabbing our gear, we left for the lake. We sang our Cutie Mark Crusaders anthem. And when we finished it, we sang it again.

And there it was. The lake that would unlock our potential for everyone to see. This time, I knew for a fact that there was no squid monster living in it.

The ground was damp from the recent storm, but the day itself was beautiful. Compliments to Rainbow Dash for that one.

We put down the diving masks and fins. I was anxious to start. Nothing could spoil this.

"The water looks cold," asserted Apple Bloom.

I schooled her. "You can't tell the temperature of water just by looking at it."

Scootaloo just finished putting on a second fin on her hind legs. She dragged herself to the lake, pushing with her front hooves against the ground and flapping her wings while dragging her hind legs behind her.

Apple Bloom raised her head and watched with amazement. "You know you can still walk even with the fins on, right?"

We both giggled at Scootaloo, but she was quick to respond to the provocation. "No, this is better. You can't trip on fins if you're doing it this wa—" As she was saying this, her front left leg sank into the patch of moist mud. She bent her front right leg to catch her balance. It stabilised her, but caused her body to crumble down. Her leg couldn't bear the load. It drifted under her chest while she collapsed on top of it.

"—aaa—" Her head splashed on the edge of the water with her snout sinking just bellow the surface. Caught by surprise she instinctively inhaled. Introduction of water to her lungs tightened her entire body. She folded her wings and used her neck muscles to launch her head above the surface. Subsequent coughs put more strain on her muscles. They gave way and her sea-lion like posture tumbled back in to the water. The next cough took place underwater. Her whole body shook as more water splashed down her windpipe. She twisted her head to the right as much as she could, but only managed to lift half of her snout above the surface. She pushed her lips to the side trying to sip some air, but her innate reflexes took over. Her chest spasmed, and she coughed and burped at the same time.

I stood there in shock. It all happened faster than I could process it.

She desperately screamed out with a high-pitched voice. "Heeeel—" She couldn't finish it. Opening her mouth invited more water in, and her mouth flooded.

Her plea for help sprang me to action. Apple Bloom already reached her. She jumped in knee-high water and elevated the muddy head above the water. Scootaloo gargled while gasping for air. Rapid coughs followed in quick succession.

I positioned myself behind Scootaloo, anchoring my front hooves under her belly. I pulled up as hard as I could.

She managed to free her front leg from under her chest and pushed with it against the ground in an attempt to free her other leg. It wouldn't budge. She manically flapped her wings in frustration.

"Take it easy!" I leaned back to avoid getting hit in the face with her feathers.

The muddy prison suddenly relinquished its possession. Unanchored upward force launched Scootaloo in the air. If I weren't there to catch her, she would have fallen on her back.

She sat on her flank with her head facing the ground. Her tears dripped across her muddy face. She was sobbing among dire episodes of coughing.

I looked at Apple Bloom and she looked back in disarray and wonder.

The whole event was intense, but Scootaloo wasn't exposed to any real danger. I smiled at Apple Bloom to break the tension. She exhaled and smiled back. The flashbacks of Scootaloo's acrobatics compounded in my mind as my smile grew bigger. I couldn't contain it and broke into an outright laughter. From all the compulsions I felt on my back with my flank against Scootaloo's back.

Apple Bloom couldn't control herself either. She threw herself on the shore laughing.

"Did you hear her voice!" I jested.

Apple Bloom lay on her side trying to contain her laughter. She turned her head toward the sky, screeching: "Heeee—glup, glup, glup".

I joined the imitation, and we both screamed with a high pitch voice. "Heeeelp!"

Our drollery got me restless. I pounded Scootalo's shoulders with my hind hooves. "You should have seen yourself," I changed my voice to mimic an overconfident mare: "This is how you walk without falling." I paused for a second. "Bam!" I euphorically thumped my front hooves to the sides against the ground. Apple Bloom galloped in the air with her hooves and screamed jubilantly: "glup, glup—Heeeeelp—glup, glub."

I sought to catch my breath. My hind legs drifted on Scootaloo's sides as I tried to relax for a bit.

I felt her tense up. She turned her head to look at Apple Bloom and then me. Her teeth grinned in profound anguish and pain. Tears drifted from her redish eyes even more so than before. She shoved off my legs and jumped up. With a high-powered kick, she sent her fins flying along the coast. She stood before us with legs spread wide. Her wings erected outwards as she screamed at us with all her might. "That wasn't funny!"

The irony of that assertion caused me to spasm. Apple Bloom satirically elaborated it by making more of the choking noises.

Scootaloo exclaimed. "Why are you laughing at me! I almost drowned!"

Apple Bloom stopped her gagging sounds. "You weren't even in the lake." She waved her hoof in disregard. "You can't drown on dry land, silly!"

"You are such a drama queen, Scootaloo," I stated, "You just soaked up some water."

"You two just stood there! You didn't even—"

"—We helped you, remember," I interrupted her before she could start a blaming game. I rolled myself on my flank and noticed a wet stain where Scootaloo had been laying. "Did you pee yourself?"

Scootaloo was still angry, but this new embarrassment sucked the fight right out of her. Her body loosened and her wings fell to the sides. She turned around to face away from us. At that point she just wanted everything to end. "Let's just go home. The water is too cold, anyway."

Apple Bloom shook some water of her wet hooves and confirmed. "You're right about the water. We should have known. The winter wrap up wasn't that long ago. Maybe we should wait until summer with the scuba diving cutie mar—"

"—No!" I stood on my hind legs and crossed my front hooves on my chest. "We are on a mission here Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

I raised one hoof in the air and sang to the sky.

"NEVER STOP THE JOURNEY!

NOT UNTIL WE GET OUR CUTIE MARKS!"

I hoped reciting part of our anthem would get their spirits up. To make it stick, I reminded them of the aftermath of the alternative. "If we quit at the first sign of difficultly, we'll stay blank flanks!"

Apple Bloom stepped to Scootaloo and turned to me. "It's really cold, Sweetie Bell. Come try it." She slid her hind hoof across the surface of the water.

"Quit your lollygagging. We won't throw in the towel just because you're afraid to get your coat wet." I sighed at her. "We are doing this!"

She persisted. "We should at least get some wetsuits then."

"No! We don't have time for that." I didn't understand why they were stalling. "And those togs are really tight and uncomfortable."

"You wore tight clothes for the school talent show," remarked Scootaloo.

"And I felt trapped every moment of it. Now can we please just—"

"—Maybe you should ask Rarity to make you a soggy bathing suit," she japed.

Apple Bloom put on a malevolent smile and gave me a narrow look. "Or I could ask Granny Smith to lend you hers."

"Stop it! That's not the point at all!" I shoved my hoof against the ground as hard as I could. "Princess Celestia won't wait for us with the sun. If we want to do this today we need to do it now. We don't even need all this stuff." I pointed my hoof at my scuba diving gear. "We just have to suck it up and go for it!"

They shook their heads. Clearly I was loosing them. This is our goal and we need to see it through. I can't let them do this to me. They obviously won't listen to reason. But I have to—I have to make them. I felt there was just one option left. I always end up being an underdog when playing nice. I won't be a pushover any more. It was time to take charge. This time they really forced my hooves.

I ran toward them. My action caught them completely off guard. They gasped in shock and got ready to jump aside. They couldn't react in time. Just before I hit them, I rotated myself sideways. I thrust Scootaloo with my flank and Apple Bloom with my shoulders. The impact got them flying while stopping me in my tracks. I spread my legs before the lake and announced:

"Water diving cutie marks"—they splashed into the lake—"here we come!"

Scootaloo was the first to surface. "What is wrong with you, Sweetie Bell! You shouldn't have done that!" She swam towards the shore with her wings spraying water droplets all around her.

"Sweetie Bell, how could you!" screeched Apple Bloom. She was keeping herself afloat with her hind legs while trying to keep herself warm with her front legs crossed over her chest. She was shaking profoundly.

I thought that they just needed a push. Their reaction, however, reflected no appreciation. They are really resisting me. But I can't let them out after what I just did.

Scootaloo reached shallow water and was trying to walk past me.

"Wait! Just, wait!" I uttered and cut her path with my hoof. "We're in the water now. We just do a couple of dives and then we can go home. OK?"

Now Apple Bloom was also crawling out of the water. "It's way too cold!"

"Alright, alright! We do one dive." I stopped her approach with my other hoof. "Just one dive. We didn't come here for nothing. And after that we all go home. I promise."

At this point, I was holding one hoof under Scootaloo's neck and one on Apple Bloom's forehead, physically preventing them from leaving the water.

I tried to boost their morale. "Maybe we'll get extra points because of cold water."

"I don't think it works like that, Sweetie Bell." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

"This is stupid," sighed Scootaloo. She kicked at the air with her front hooves getting ready to push past me.

"Ow, come on! One bucking dive!" I was losing my patience. How can they be so stubborn.

Apple Bloom kept whining. "Let's just hold our breath on the shore. We don't really need to stay in the water for that."

"No, no, no! We can't make bubbles on land!" I protested. Her idea is ridiculous. We came here for scuba diving and it's obvious that we can only do that under water. She isn't making any sense at all.

Apple Bloom tilted her head at me. "What are you even—" She lost her willpower before she could finish the question. "Ah, never mind." She took a step back and nodded at Scootalo. "Let's just get this over with."

Scootaloo sighted mulishly. "This is pointless."

"Awesome! The first one up stays a blank flank," I cheered and stepped into the water. Chills shook my body. The water wasn't just cold. It was freezing. Do I really want to do this? I stopped for a moment.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at me sideways, raising their brows.

If I admit that the water is too cold, I will never hear the end of it. All because of one little misjudgment. I bit my teeth together. I won't let them have the satisfaction.

"You call this water cold," I forcefully stepped forward. "Refreshing is what it is. You're both a bunch of chickens. Especially you!" I pointed at Scootaloo.

"I am not a chicken!" she snarled at me.

I tried to act casual, but my body was stiffening. I felt the pain on every patch of my skin that entered the water. I have to do this. I have to prove them wrong. It was my idea, and I'm going to make it work. I was in shoulder deep water. My breaths ware shallow and erratic. I felt my eyes watering from all the pain I was feeling throughout my body.

"Are you shivering?" spewed Schootaloo at me.

I contracted all my muscles to prevent my body from shaking. "Whaaat! Of course not." My voice broke.

Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom and pointed at me. "She's totally shivering."

I need to go for it. They are really turning against me.

"Let's do this!" I announced. "One, two, three, dive!" I gasped as much air as I could and slid bellow the surface. Now they can't judge me anymore. I looked back, but couldn't see clearly. Why did I leave my diving mask on the shore? It's their fault because they were acting so irrational. Silhouettes of their heads were rippling above the surface. They were facing each other as if having a discussion. No! They can't do this to me. We had a deal. They have no right to betray me.

At that point, Apple Bloom launched herself through the water and Scootaloo followed right after. I turned my head forward. You two made the right decision. I would look so silly if I was the only one that dived.

I slowly swam deeper. Every move I made was painful. Pushing forward felt like pressing against needles. As I descended, I felt a jolt. Freezing liquid sipped through my coat, chilling the skin on my legs. My body jerked. Muscles cramped. A puff of air escaped my mouth.

There was a layer of icy water on the bottom. I swam towards a nearby boulder keeping my torso above the layer. By casting my front hooves around it, I anchored myself down to it.

Resting motionless unstrained me. My hind legs, however, still quivered in the colder layer. I hope they don't think that I'm slacking. I pretended to look at the boulder as if it was interesting.

Scootaloo slowly passed above my head. Her wings were tightly folded to keep the warmth in. She pressed her legs against her abdomen and swam only with her hooves.

Apple Bloom saw me at the boulder and came for a closer inspection. She wanted to swim beside me but was promptly introduced to the colder layer. She instinctively lifted her legs from it and pushed herself towards the surface. Scootaloo sluggishly floated above me for a moment Then she too ran out of her patience and headed up.

The whole situation with us in the cold water was absurd, and they clearly expressed it. But I had to make it significant. I will not let myself be defeated in this manner. If I swim up right after them, they will just ridicule me. No! I will persist and get a cutie mark for—for whatever this is. Then they will see that I was right and they were wrong.

They broke the surface and swam toward the shore. I repositioned myself above the boulder, hugging it with all my four legs. That kept me above the freezing layer while still allowing me to be anchored. I will show them! I will show them! I kept repeating in my mind. The cold water was sore and lung spasms urged me to breathe. My body was screaming to get out, but I wouldn't allow myself to swim up. The act of joining my friends repulsed me. I can't let them judge me based on their opinions. No! I will prove them wrong. I will wait right here until they come to get me. I will make them break their defiant stubbornness. I will show them that I was honest and right when I said this was a good idea.

I was focusing all my attention in fighting the need to breathe and didn't even notice that I was no longer holding on to a boulder. I slowly drifted upward. The surface closing in on me was so inviting. It compelled me to swim toward it and leave all this nonsense behind. But something stopped me right then. Something inside of me spoke out. You will swim back down and you will do what you set out to do. My muscles instantly responded, and I pushed myself deeper. The strains were taking effect on my body. It pulsated and twirled. But that didn't matter to me. I was no longer bound by petty limitations. My thoughts were sharp and focused. I am in control now!—

—But why do these thoughts feel so strange. So foreign. As if they come from somewhere else—

—No! They come from within me. Therefore they are me. And I won't let anything stand in my way!

A splash on the surface stopped my trail of thoughts and my descent. They are trying to get me! That's good enough. I rapidly kicked with my legs and plunged through the surface gasping for air.

"Are you OK, Sweetie Bell?" I heard Scootaloo shout.

I panted rapidly and splashed with my hooves to stay afloat. "Yea!—" I lifted my snout up to breathe in. "Why wouldn't I be—" A short sneeze left my nozzle. "Did you came in for another dive?"

"Sweetie Bell, no! You promised!" yelled Apple Bloom, running left and right along the shore.

"Come out!" hollered Scootaloo while pulling herself back on the shore.

I had no reason to stay in cold water. But I still wanted to come out as a winner. I kept my grace and slowly swam towards the shore.

I gallantly stepped out of the water. They didn't even raise their heads to look at me.

"This was so awsome!" I tried to inspire them.

"We didn't get it," muttered Apple Bloom.

"What about you. Did you get it?" Scootaloo anxiously lifted her head toward my face. "You were down there for so long you must have got it!"

"Get what?" I pushed my head to the side. Did she expect me to get something for her?

Applebloom gazed at me. "The cutie mark, silly!" She narrowed her eyelids. "You know, the only reason you got us all wet for."

It completely slipped my mind. I turned my head around and wiggled my tail to get it of my flank. "Anything?" I walked in circle trying to see more of my flank.

Scootaloo put her hoof on my flank and stopped me "No. Nothing. I was sure you were going to get it though. Either that or—" She bowed her head.

"Or what?" I looked at her.

Scootaloo lowered her voice. "Did something happen to you down there?" She sounded worried. "Did you get your hoof stuck?"

"No, why?"

"It's just—" She paused and glanced at the lake. "—it's nothing." She shook her head. "I'm just glad you're alright. Sorry about your cutie mark. Well, the lack of it, I mean."

"Sweetie Belle, you know you don't have to prove anything to us, right?" Apple Bloom stepped beside me. "We're friends. We're all in this together. And thanks to you, we get to check the diving cutie mark off our list today." They both embraced me.

They persisted in their hug, not wanting to let go. "You are our best friend." whispered Apple Bloom. They squeezed me even tighter.

I shook them off to put their emotional nonsense to rest. "What are you two obsessing over. Everything is fine." They looked at me with eyes wide open. As if they were expecting something from me and not getting it. I changed the subject. "Let's wrap things up, Crusaders. Grab your gear and home we go. The day is almost over."

They picked up the equipment and glanced at me to check if there really wasn't anything else to be said. I kept my serious face to prevent them from relapsing into another annoying hug or pesky interrogation. They threw their stuff on their backs and walked toward the dirt road that would lead us to Ponyville. Scootaloo broke out with the first stanza of our anthem. Applebloom clapped her hooves with excitement and joined in.

I gazed across the lake and whispered to myself. "What happened down there?"

I shrugged my shoulders and looked to my friends. "Don't sing it without me!" I exclaimed and rushed to join them.


End file.
